Portia de Rossi

A willowy blonde with a deft touch in comic roles, Portia de Rossi excelled at presenting the highs and lows of wealthy and powerful women in such television series as "Ally McBeal" (Fox, 1997-2002) a...
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Actress Hilary Swank paid tribute to her real-life Boys Don't Cry character while accepting the Trailblazer Award at the Outfest Legacy Awards on Wednesday (12Nov14). The Million Dollar Baby star was feted with the inaugural prize at the star-studded ceremony in Los Angeles, 15 years after Boys Don't Cry was released.
Swank, who won the first of her two Oscars for her portrayal of transgender Brandon Teena in the drama, attributed her prize to the real-life inspiration behind the groundbreaking film.
She told the crowd, "My closing message remains the same as that of my Academy Award speech. Let Brandon Teena's legacy remind us to always be ourselves, to follow our hearts, to not conform. And let us continue telling stories like this so that one day we’ll not only accept our differences, but actually celebrate our diversity."
Tales of the City author Armistead Maupin was also honoured with the Visionary Award on the 20th anniversary of the launch of his controversial mini-series about love and sex in San Francisco.
Orange is the New Black star Natasha Lyonne hosted the event, which supports of the Outfest UCLA Legacy Project, the largest archive of LGBT moving images in the world.
Meanwhile, across town, actors Portia de Rossi, Eric Stonestreet, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Glee creator Ryan Murphy attended a similar event celebrating the legacy of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) characters on screen at the Paley Center's annual L.A. gala.

Comedienne Ellen Degeneres and her actress wife Portia De Rossi have dismissed reports suggesting a domestic dispute prompted the cancellation of an appearance at a Los Angeles fundraiser on Sunday (26Oct14), insisting they were never scheduled to attend in the first place. Reports suggested the stars had been en route to the Saving Spot! pet rescue event when they became embroiled in a heated argument and decided to turn around and head home.
However, the couple has now cleared up the false rumours, blaming event organisers for misleading guests with their amended invitation, which had not been approved by the pair.
A joint statement released to Eonline.com reads: "We were happy to lend our names as honorary chairs and the organization was always aware that we would be unable to attend.
"This is the first time we have seen our images attached to the invite. It was not approved and it is misleading."
Animal lovers DeGeneres and de Rossi appeared at last year's (13) fundraiser and also helped to host a live auction.

Director Darren Aronofsky is to receive the first ever Human Society Filmmaker Award to applaud his decision to use animated animals instead of real creatures in his Biblical film Noah. The filmmaker has been chosen by officials at the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) to be the guest of honour at the animal charity's upcoming To The Rescue! New York event on 21 November (14).
Aronofsky has been praised for his "compassionate decision" to use computer-generated imagery (CGI) instead of animal actors in Noah, and the moviemaker insists the choice was easy.
He says in a statement, "When I started working on Noah, an early question was how to express the vastness and complexity of the animal kingdom on the big screen.
"It was quickly apparent that working with live animals would be dangerous for them. It was also morally ambiguous considering we were making a film about the first naturalist, Noah, who saved and cared for all the varied species on the planet."
The event will be co-hosted by an honorary HSUS host committee featuring animal advocates from across the industry, including actresses Kristen Bell and Wendie Malick, singer Billy Joel, dance star Moby, comedienne Ellen DeGeneres and her wife Portia de Rossi, and TV host Bill Maher.

"It's just one big rumour that doesn't seem to go away, and, at this point, I feel like I'm disappointing the whole of America, not just my mother." Actress Portia De Rossi on reports suggesting she and partner Ellen DeGeneres are expecting a baby.

Splash News
Actress Portia De Rossi is joining the cast of Kerry Washington's hit political drama Scandal.
The former Ally McBeal star has landed a guest role for a new story arc in the series' upcoming season four, which returns to U.S. TV screens in September (14).

Comedienne Ellen Degeneres has reportedly made a $15 million (£8 million) profit after selling her Los Angeles mansion to Napster boss Sean Parker. The talk show host and her wife Portia de Rossi purchased the house for nearly $40 million (£23 million) last winter (13) and after renovating the abode, she has now sold the property to the tech entrepreneur for $55 million (£32 million), according to TMZ.com.
The nine-bedroom home, which was designed by celebrated architect A. Quincy Jones, was built in 1950 and features floor-to-ceiling glass walls as well as a swimming pool, guest house, and tennis court.
According to the gossip site, Parker approached DeGeneres with the lucrative offer last month (Jun14), and the deal closed within eight days.
DeGeneres and de Rossi have reportedly spent their profit by buying an entire floor of a condo building in Beverly Hills for $16 million (£9 million).

Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines beauty Kristanna Loken has been voted the hottest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) celebrity in a new poll. The bisexual blonde has beaten out reality star Amanda Leigh Dunn to land the title in a HotorNot.com survey in celebration of America's Pride month (Jun14).
Mean Girls actor Jonathan Bennett comes in third, followed by Glee's Chris Colfer and Magic Mike hunk Matt Bomer.
The Big Bang Theory star Jim Parsons, Australian actress Portia de Rossi and former Kyle XY actor Matt Dallas also feature in the top 10.

Stars including Ellen Degeneres and Stephen Fry have backed a boycott of a hotel group owned by the Sultan of Brunei over a proposed new anti-gay law in the country. A number of fashion industry moguls, including shoe designer Brian Atwood, have urged both stars and members of the public to avoid staying in hotels which are part of the Dorchester group, which includes the Beverly Hills Hotel and the Hotel Bel-Air in California and the Dorchester in London.
The campaign is to protest against plans for a new law stating that anyone caught committing a homosexual act in Brunei should be stoned to death.
U.S. TV host Ellen DeGeneres, who is married to actress Portia de Rossi, has vowed to boycott both of the California hotels in future, writing in a post on her Twitter.com page, "I won't be visiting the Hotel Bel-Air or the Beverly Hills Hotel until this is resolved."
Openly gay British actor Stephen Fry has revealed he has cancelled an upcoming stay in one of the group's hotels, the Coworth Park Hotel in Berkshire, England, as part of the protest.
In a series of messages on Twitter.com, he writes, "Not that you were necessarily going to stay there, but time to boycott the Dorchester Group... Send them a message... Cancelled in nick of time: discovered (Coworth Park Hotel) that I was booked into is part of the Dorchester Collection."
A spokeswoman for the Dorchester Collection tells WWD.com, "We are sensitive to the fact that any such potential withdrawal of business directly impacts our employees, who represent the full diversity of society. We continue to abide by the laws of the countries we operate in and do not tolerate any form of discrimination of any kind."

TV talk show star Ellen Degeneres has moved to silence long-running rumours suggesting her marriage to Portia De Rossi is on the verge of collapse, insisting she is more in love with the actress than ever. Recent rumours suggested the couple was on a verge of a split, and the gossip was fuelled when the former Ally McBeal star was spotted without her wedding ring.
However, DeGeneres is adamant her partner simply took off the ring to go horse-riding.
She tells People.com, "Apparently she's demanding $220 million! I'll give it to her, I don't care - she doesn't have to leave me...
"The tabloids had a photo of Portia not wearing her wedding ring. She goes, 'I didn't wear it because when I ride horses and I'm holding the reins, it gives me a blister!' The truth is, and this is corny, I fall more in love with Portia all the time. I really do. She surprises me all the time. It's what anyone experiences when you find that person that gets you, wants to take care of you, wants the best for you. We're really lucky because we know how rare it is."

Sean Hayes' U.S. TV series Sean Saves The World has been cancelled by bosses at America's NBC network, just weeks before he was due to shoot the final episodes of the season. The former Will & Grace actor landed his own self-titled sitcom last year (13), but production has now been shut down before the end of the run.
Production on the show, which features Hayes as a divorced gay father, ended on Tuesday (28Jan14) with four of the total 18 episodes still left to shoot, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
A number of familiar faces were slated to appear in the final episodes of the first season, including Portia de Rossi, Guy Pearce, and Hayes' former Will & Grace co-star Megan Mullally.

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Portrayed Carolyn Bessette Kennedy in the made for TV movie "America's Prince: The John F. Kennedy Jr. Story" (TBS)

Had regular role of Maria Hunter on the short-lived Fox sitcom "Too Something"

Joined cast of the hit FOX comedy "Ally McBeal" as lawyer Nelle Porter

Was series regular on The WB sitcom "Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher"

Starred in the Wes Craven thriller "Crused"

Co-starred with Jay Harrington in the short-lived ABC series "Better Off Ted"

Had featured role in "Scream 2"

Co-starred in the FOX comedy series "Arrested Development" as Lindsay Bluth Fünke

Moved to Los Angeles

First significant role, playing a young model in the Australian film, "Sirens"

Adopted stage name of Portia de Rossi

Joined the fifth season of FX's "Nip/Tuck" as Julia McNamara's new girlfriend Olivia Lord

Began career as model; also appeared in TV commercials in Australia

Starred in "Who is Cletis Tout" with Tim Allen and Christian Slater

Summary

A willowy blonde with a deft touch in comic roles, Portia de Rossi excelled at presenting the highs and lows of wealthy and powerful women in such television series as "Ally McBeal" (Fox, 1997-2002) and "Arrested Development" (Fox, 2003-06). A former child model, she endured personal hardships regarding her weight and self-esteem while making her way into acting; supporting parts in minor television series preceded her star-making turn as a steely lawyer on "McBeal." De Rossi showed a lighter side as the flighty Lindsay Bluth-Fünke on "Development" before returning to a variation of her iron mistress persona on the short-lived cult favorite "Better Off Ted" (ABC, 2009-2010). Despite the success of these performances, she was best known to the general public as the spouse of talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, but her onscreen talent made her a favorite among comedy fans of all stripes.

Began dating in December 2004; Couple announced they will legally wed after the California Supreme Court overturned the ban on gay marriage on May 15, 2008; Married Aug. 16, 2008 at their Beverly Hills, CA estate

Education

De Rossi revealed to Vogue magazine in April 2006 that she struggled with Anorexia while she was a regular on the hit show "Ally McBeal" (Fox).

In Aug. 2010, de Rossi filed to legally change her name to Portia Lee James DeGeneres.

On Sept. 16, 2011, Australian-born de Rossi was made a U.S. citizen. Her wife Ellen DeGeneres announced the news on her Twitter page: "Today my wife officially became a U.S. Citizen. Congratulations Portia and America."